Lucky 13
by cursedgirls13
Summary: Certain humans have adapted so that they can change their forms from a certain animal to human, and vice versa.
1. Character Information

**Character Information**

* * *

**Cat:** Yugi

**Pet:** cat, light tan with brown splotches; name is Cotton

**Thirteenth zodiac:** unlucky, exiled

**Age:** 16

**Height:** 5'

**Cat form:** black body w/amethyst paws, tail-tip, and ear tips. Blond markings above amethyst paws, and below tail tip and ear tips. Blonde muzzle and amethyst eyes.

**Powers:** If he hugs girl zodiac, he turns himself, and the other zodiac, into their animal, but only if caught by surprise. Has super speed. He also has this sixth sense; when he's calm, he can sense another zodiac nearby.

**Favorite items:** two plushies - Midnight; it's a pure black cat with a white diamond mark in its head, Yugi's diary and a plush named Chrissie.

* * *

**Rat:** Yami

**Pet:** none

**First zodiac:** popular

**Age:** 17

**Height:** 5' 6"

**Rat form:** all blond w/black paws and tail. There's a crimson strip from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail. Crimson eyes to finish.

**Powers:** Son of God, Shadow Powers

**Favorite items:** Millenium Puzzle

* * *

**Dragon:** Seto

**Pet:** none

**Fifth zodiac:** snobby

**Age:** 18

**Height:** 5' 10"

**Dragon form:** light blue with icy-blue eyes

**Powers:** When in dragon form, he can breath ice fire (fire that is as cold as ice)

**Favorite items:** Computer

* * *

**Dog:** Joey

**Pet:** Black Labrador; name is Fruit Loop

**Eleventh zodiac:** headstrong

**Age:** 17

**Height:** 5' 8"

**Dog form:** honey-brown fur with brown eyes

**Powers:** Can open portals

**Favorite items:** Leash and collar

* * *

**Boar:** Anzu

**Pet:** none

**Twelfth zodiac:** obnoxiously obsessed with Yami (and has everything about him. Ex: books, plushies, etc.)

**Age:** 16

**Height:** 5' 4"

**Boar form:** brown boar with blue eyes

**Powers:** Teleportation

**Favorite item:** Yami plush

* * *

**Snake:** Marik

**Pet:** Cobra; his name is Stripes

**Sixth zodiac:** insane

**Age:** 17

**Height:** 5' 7"

**Snake form:** eyes are purple w/ white skin, and a tan tail

**Powers:** He can climb any surface (not including water or lava)

**Favorite item:** Motorcycle

* * *

**Rooster:** Malik

**Pet:** none

**Tenth zodiac:** kind

**Age:** 17

**Height:** 5' 7"

**Rooster form:** tan rooster w/ white belly. Dark purple eyes.

**Powers:** Telekinesis (moving objects with your mind)

**Favorite item:** Book (Title: 1001 Ways to Kill Someone Quietly)

* * *

**Bunny/Rabbit:** Ryou

**Pet:** White bunny w/ brown paws, tail, and ears; her/his name is Joy

**Fourth zodiac:** happy

**Age:** 16

**Height:** 5' 4"

**Rabbit form:** pure white (albino) bunny

**Powers:** He has super hearing and smell

**Favorite item:** His stuffed tiger

* * *

**Tiger:** Bakura

**Pet:** none

**Third zodiac:** obnoxiously, crazily, annoying pain in your neck, butt, & back

**Age:** 17

**Height:** 5' 7"

**Tiger form:** white tiger

**Powers:** Able to withstand harsh conditions (too hot or cold)

**Favorite item:** Bunny necklace


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey-o! So...this is our very first story, and I have to say that it took quite a while to finish, but once we were done, it was like, "finally something accomplished!" ヽ(*≧ω≦)ﾉ. Kyoki and I were the ones who wrote this little thang, and we're very proud of it, so I hope you all enjoy! - Makoto**

* * *

_Chapter 1_

"_Hey Cat," a snarky Rat called._

"_Yes," a polite voice answered, but quickly hardened when he saw who it was. "What do you want, Rat?"_

"_I'm hurt. I thought you liked me," he replied._

"_No. You wish," the cat replied._

_The rat went on. "I thought you wanted to go to a party, the Jade Emperor, or the ruler of the Heavens, is holding it, and is giving twelve animals, years."_

"_Oh, I thought you just wanted to trick me again. When is it?" a happy cat asked._

"_Why, my dear cat, it's in two days. I'll see you there!" a cheerful rat left. The poor cat didn't see the evil smile on his face as he left._

**_-The next day at the party-_**

"_My dear twelve friends, I welcome all of you," the Emperor said. "I'm happy to give you all your years!"_

_After the years were given, "Let the party begin!"_

**_The next day..._**

_As Cat walked down the well-worn road, it started to rain. 'Brr. I hope they have towels there!' he thought._

_Cat stopped outside of the palace wall. 'Maybe I'm just early,' he thought._

_The poor creature waited all day in the rain, until the Emperor noticed that small multi-colored cat outside. Quickly, the cat was let in, and set in front of a warm fire._

"_My dear cat! What were you doing out there?" the Emperor exclaimed._

"_W-waiting for the p-party," the cat shivered._

"_You poor creature! The party was yesterday, and I gave away all of the years! However, I will give you a number." the Emperor sighed._

"_R-really?! Thank y-you so v-v-very much! Which one will it be?" the cat jumped with joy, before sneezing._

"_You will be number thirteen, the hated number. You will be unknown, and unlucky. May this mistake haunt you for the rest of your life." the Emperor said._

_The cat gasped. He turned and leapt out the window, landing on his feet he fled._

A sixteen year-old boy fell out of his bed, turning into a multi-colored cat. Silently, he wept until he changed back into his boy self, only naked. He hugged his knees, and kept sobbing until a small meow made him look up. A cat walked over to him and meowed again.

"_Master Yugi, why are you crying? You have no reason to." _Cotton, his cat, purred.

"I had a dream of that night again," he whispered.

Cotton hissed. "_Master Yugi, that is the reason all cats hate rats and mice. Don't cry, we will never let him harm you again."_

"Thanks, Cotton. Let me get dressed and I'll give you some tuna, it is four o'clock in the morning anyway," Yugi giggled, and quickly got dressed in his uniform, pausing when he saw the number thirteen burned into his right shoulder.

"_Master! I thought you had fallen asleep again!"_ Cotton chided when he came downstairs.

"Sorry, Cotton! Here's your tuna!" Yugi cheered. After getting ready for school, Yugi left.

"Bye Grandpa! Bye Cotton!" Yugi called.

Quickly, Yugi ran down the streets, and arrived at his school, Kaibara High School, with time to spare. Yugi slipped into his homeroom, and practically ran to his desk, knowing that in one minute, the three most popular people in the whole school would walk in...5...4...3...2...1-WHAM! The door blew open, and there they stood-Seto Kaiba, Joey Wheeler, and Yami Sennen. Yami was the most popular kid in the school, and a gazillion girls and boys wanted him. Yugi rolled his eyes as a group of them gathered. He groaned when he saw the infamous group blow kisses to everyone. When the bell rang, Yami and the rest sat in their spots.

The day went by fast, and soon the final bell rang. Yugi grabbed his bag, and ran as fast as he could down the hall, praying that _they_ weren't waiting for him. No such luck. Yami and his group were there, talking with their fans. Yugi hated this; he would try to get by, and they would tease and hurt him. Suddenly an alarm went off, and a scared Yugi instantly changed into a cat. Using his power, super speed, he grabbed all his clothing, and sprinted the heck away from there. He raced around the corner, and jumped onto a fence. Yugi started walking along the top, with his clothes tied on his back.

"Yami! Come on, I want to go to the park!" a familiar voice screeched, almost blowing out Yugi's eardrums. (Cats have very sensitive ears, FYI.)

Yugi's tiny head whipped around as Anzu ran past him. Yugi sensed something; his kitten eyes widened with shock. 'Anzu is a zodiac!' he thought with surprise.

Instantly, Yugi grew angry. 'Anzu?! The lead fangirl of Yami?! She is actually a zodiac year, and she makes my life a living HELL everyday!' Yugi hissed and leapt at Anzu. The moment his paws went around her, she changed into her zodiac animal, a boar. Yugi ran off and watched the scene unfold.

"God, Anzu, why are you in your animal form?" Yami asked.

"Yami, something attacked me! Please carry me home," Anzu whined (desperate, much?).

"No. If I pick you up I might turn into my animal," Yami grinned.

Yugi hissed at Yami, causing the older to look at him. "Oh, look a little puddy cat (I so do not watch "Tweety Bird"). Here kitty, kitty."

Yugi looked at Yami with annoyance. "If you can call me a 'little puddy cat', then you can get your pig of a girlfriend, and your ugly mug out of my face," Yugi snarled at Yami.

Yugi watched as Yami, Anzu, Seto, and Joey stared at him with open mouths (like they've just seen a talking cat). "You can talk?" Yami asked.

"No. I'm a magical, talking unicorn with sparkly powers from Saturn, and I disguised myself as a cat to take over your planet. Of course I can talk, dumbass!" Yugi spat at Yami. Yami looked shocked that he was just dissed by a _cat._ Suddenly, Joey changed into a dog, and he flew at Yugi. Yugi snarled, and fluffed up to twice his size as he slashed his claws at Joey. Joey yelped, and fell back, holding his nose. Seto glared at Yugi, only he wasn't there. Yugi was long gone.

'A dog! They had a flipping _DOG_! It was a dog, for crying out loud! Wait-no one looked surprised when the dog showed up. Maybe that _Joey_ person is the zodiac dog,' Yugi jumped through the open window, and crashed onto the ground. He leapt onto his bed, and snuggled next to Midnight, his favorite plush.

'The dog and the boar. Why did they get years? I'll be hated and disowned 'til I die. Why, why...why…..?'

_**-Yami's P.O.V.-**_

Yami sighed. 'A cat, and a talking cat at that. Could it be the zodiac cat? No. The zodiac cat is dead, the Emperor said so himself. In the cat's grief, of not having a year, he killed himself.'

Yami shook his head as he turned off the shower water. He reached out to grab his towel, and grabbed air. Yami frowned, and looked all around the bathroom for a towel. None. Yami opened the bathroom door, and sees Anzu there with only a bathrobe on. Yami instantly dove into the bathroom, and slammed the door in her face.

"Anzu, if you don't get out of my house, I'll call the cops!" Yami squeaked, just realizing he was in rat form.

'Well…this will be interesting,' he thought.

**_-Across town: Yugi's P.O.V.-_**

Yugi shot up in bed, hearing his grandfather calling him for dinner. Yugi dragged himself out of bed, and quickly got himself dressed. Racing downstairs, Yugi fed Cotton and whispered in her ear. "I'll go run with you when Grandpa is in bed." he promised. Cotton purred in response.

After dinner, Yugi waited for his grandpa to go to bed, while reviewing his notes. When he heard the snoring of his grandfather, he cat-hugged Cotton and both jumped out the window to hunt.

As the two ran around, Cotton caught a mouse and Yugi cried, "I saw it first! Give it to me, Cotton!"

"_Come and get it!"_ Cotton provoked Yugi. The two ran around the park, grabbing and snapping for the long-dead mouse.

Suddenly, there was a growl, and a blast of ice cold air hit Cotton, freezing her hind leg. A large, light blue dragon jumped out, and lunged at Cotton.

"Cotton! _NO!_" Yugi yelled.

There was a _CRUNCH_, and a blood-curling scream, then all was quiet. Cotton groaned and stood up on shaky legs. "_Master Yugi...no…"_

She ran to Yugi's side and gasped; his front left leg was shattered. Blood oozed from multiple gashes, and a long scratch ran along his chest. "_Master? Master?! Wake up! YUGI!"_

"C-Cotton? D-don't worry..." Yugi started to cough up blood. "Are...are you...okay? C-Cotton...?"

"_Yugi? Wake up!"_ Cotton screamed.

Yugi changed back into his human form. Cotton grabbed some spare clothing, and covered him, then called the police and screamed into the phone.

Five minutes passed, and the police arrived. No one noticed the dragon slinking off.


	3. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

**_-Cotton's P.O.V.-_**

Cotton looked down at the pallid boy in front of her. He was lying on a big bed in a too big hospital gown. It was quite a sad sight to see, really. Yugi was always full of energy, and now...he looks...well, dead.

A few minutes ago, she wouldn't dare leave her master alone, and scratched anyone who tried to pry her away from the sickly pale boy. So, she ended up on a hospital bed with Yugi, and is currently snuggled up beside him.

'_Who was that dragon? He tried to hurt Yugi and myself…' _ Cotton ponders about this mysterious dragon that had popped out of nowhere. She thinks about this, falling asleep.

**_-Yugi's P.O.V. - Ten Minutes Later-_**

Yugi woke up, feeling a warm ball of fur pressed up against his side. Of course, it was Cotton; she always was with him. Yugi yawned and tried to stretch, but cried out in pain, thus, waking up Cotton. They decide to sneak out of the hospital, so Yugi hugs Cotton to change into a cat. No one sees the duo slink out of the hospital window. Once they get home, they pass out on Yugi's bed from all the exhausting events from hours before.

Yugi wakes up, in his human form, with Cotton meowing at him to 'wake the heck up, you have school'. So, Yugi quickly runs to the bathroom to take a shower, and gets dressed. Then, like always, he feeds Cotton first, before grabbing to eat something for himself. After breakie, he leaves to go to school.

He sprints down the hallway, and makes it just in time to his homeroom. Yugi quickly sits at his desk, right as the teacher walks in. Unfortunately, this was the day where the teacher decided to question him about his injured arm and chest.

"Mr. Mutou, if you don't mind, I would like to hear about your injuries." the teacher says, looking straight at him. Yugi gulped nervously. 'What do I say? A dragon just popped out of nowhere, and tried to kill me and my cat and that's how my arm got shattered!? No thank you.'

"Uh, well, I was, um, mugged by someone while I was taking a walk through a park." Yugi replied nervously.

"Thank you for sharing, Mr. Mutou," After the teacher says that, people snicker (like little weasels).

Seto glared at Yugi from the corner of his eye, and quickly wrote a note, passing it to Yami.

'_Yami,_

_I don't think that Yugi is giving us the whole story. Meet Joey and I after school. On the bench. In the schoolyard._

_- Seto'_

Seto threw the note at Yami's head, hitting him. Yami grumbled, but read the note and nodded at Seto, confirming that he'll be there.

**_-End of the day at the bench in the schoolyard-_**

"So, I think Yugi is the cat of the zodiac," Seto said, looking at Yugi, who was currently glaring at a light grey cat.

"What makes you think Yugi is the cat?" Yami asks pointedly.

"Well, the cat's fur looked like Yugi's hair, for starters." Seto points out. "Last night, I attacked the cat that back-talked Yami, and he changed into a boy, but I didn't get a good look at his face. Plus, it looks like he's in a little argument with that cat overthere."

"I don't care that you want me to rest! I can't get behind in school!" Yugi hissed.

The cat snarled in reply. "_But Master! You're still hurt! Please come home and rest! All the cats in the area sent their regards! You need to show them you're alright!"_

Yugi sighed and walked away with the cat, unaware of his listeners.

"Well, as you see, he's either the zodiac cat, or he's just down-right insane." Seto said, looking at the short boy walked away with his cat.

Joey yelped (like a dog). "Hey, let's follow the kid. I owe him for my nose." The zodiac dog rubbed his nose, which had three long scratches through it. Yami nodded in agreement.

Quietly, the three followed the small boy. Suddenly, he started running and turned a corner, which lead to a dead end. When the three followed him in, the boy had mysteriously vanished. Behind them, they heard a hiss. Hundreds of (cranky) cats were watching their every move, and were blocking the only exit.

"Well, crap." Joey said. Seto turned into a dragon and grabbed Yami and Joey, and flew them the heck out of there. None of them saw a certain, multi-colored cat watching them along with the hundreds of other cats.

**_-Time skip to Anzu's house-_**

"Yami~! Oh...and _friends._ Whatever are you doing here?" Anzu exclaims with a sickly sweet smile (that makes you want to gag and your face fall off).

"_Anzu,_ we came to tell you that we believe that we may have found another zodiac." Joey sneered.

"Well, come inside~! _We'll talk in here._" Her voice drops into this low, hair-raising tone. The three boys mentally shivered at the tone of her voice, and got even more freaked out when she started smiling again.

All four zodiac members sat around Anzu's living room. The zodiac boar's cat, Fluffy, decided to look to see what was going on. She took one look at Yami and hissed.

"Anzu, remind me why you have a-!" Fluffy jumped at Yami, and scratched his cheek. "OW! Son of a-!"

"Calm down, Yami." Seto said calmly, looking at the cat. She turned around, flicking her tail at the three boys and Anzu, and ran off.

"I know, silly cat, huh?" Anzu said, smiling. The three boys almost shivered physically at her creepy smile.

"Okay, so back to what we came here for." Seto said, looking at Anzu.

"Ah, yes, go ahead." Anzu said, making hand gestures for Seto to continue.

"We think we've found the cat of the zodiac." he said, now looking between Joey and Yami. Anzu got this hard look on her face.

"I see. Evidence, please?" her icy-cold tone made Seto narrow his eyes a bit.

"We think it's Yugi Mutou." he said, "I explained to Joey and Yami that the cat's fur color looks like Yugi's hair. Plus, while we were talking, we saw Yugi talking to a cat, and the cat I attacked in the park was the one that back-talked Yami. I also saw him change into a boy, but I didn't get a good look at his face, sadly."

Anzu snarled, "Then we should check out this _Yugi _person."

The zodiac rat, dragon, and dog looked at each other. They made a silent agreement.

"Okay, so here's the plan…"


	4. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

"So," Yami panted, trying to catch his breath. "We tried, and failed, exactly one-hundred twenty-seven times _*pant*_ to catch Yugi and _*gasp*_ failed."

"Yeah, and he seems to know what we're up to," Joey barked.

The three had sprinted to follow Yugi to school, but man, that kid could run.

"Class," the teacher called,"Today we will be getting four new students. Come in, children."

The class watched as the new students walked in.

"Hi, I'm Ryou!" a cheery, albino greeted, "And this is Bakura!" Gesturing towards another white-haired boy standing next to him.

"And these two are Marik and Malik!" Ryou introduced the two other new students.

"Thank you. Ryou go sit near...Yugi. Bakura next to...Yami. Malik and Marik, you two sit in the back of the classroom." the teacher instructed.

Towards the end of the day, Yami and his little group of friends had instantly taken a liking to the four new kids. However, only three out of the four seemed to fit in. Ryou seemed to not trust the new additions to the group at all, and lunch was the final straw.

"Yugi! Hey, you wanna sit with us?" Anzu called, batting her eyelashes.

Yugi looked at her and snarled, "Me? Sit with you? No thanks, I would rather eat with someone with Lepers, but-*gasp*-oh, wait-that's actually less disgustingly contagious than you."

Only the other zodiac animals knew why Yugi would say something like that. As Yugi walked by, Ryou saw Seto stick his foot out and a second later, Yugi fell face-first into his food.

Yugi shot up when people started laughing, and a hiss sounded throughout the room. Ryou was next to Yugi, helping him up, when he heard Yugi hiss.

"WHAT IS YOUR FREAKING PROBLEM?! I'M TRYING TO BE NICE TO YOU BUNCH, YET ALL I GET ARE MORE INSULTS! WHAT IS TODAY?! 'PICK ON YUGI BECAUSE YOU CHASE ALL HIS FRIENDS AWAY' DAY?!" Yugi's voice dropped to a fatal whisper that only the other zodiac members could hear. "Oh, and by the way, I know what you are-Seto, Joey, Anzu. And you three too, Bakura, Marik, Malik. I'm warning you, even you Yami," Yugi spat the zodiac rat's name out. "You better watch what you do, because I'll know. I promise." And with that, Yugi whirled around and stalked off.

Joey was the first to speak. "Well-"

Suddenly, Ryou spoke, his voice hard and cold like ice, "You are all zodiac animals? I used to be proud of being one, but now seeing what you seven call 'fun', I would rather be with Yugi. Oh, and Bakura? It's over, I never want to see your face again. You laughed at him; you told Seto to do it, to trip Yugi." And Ryou turned around, running after Yugi.

**-Time skip to the schoolyard-**

Yugi ran and ran, crying, 'Why? Why do I always have to suffer? WHY?!'

He stopped running and sighed, before getting knocked into by a white-haired boy. In a flash of smoke, Yugi stared into the wide, chocolate-brown eyes of a snow-white rabbit.

"Yugi? You...you're the cat?!" Ryou exclaimed, shocked.

"Yeah, but I didn't realize you were the bunny." Yugi commented, "Let's continue this conversation in human form, okay?" Ryou nodded in agreement.

Ryou and Yugi calmly walked down the hall to their next class. "So, Yugi, that was your life for eight years? Wow, I'm so sorry."

Yugi shrugged, "Oh well. Can't change it now, anyways-they're coming."

Ryou looked up to see his ex-boyfriend and the rest walking up to them. "Ryou! I was so worried-" Bakura started.

Ryou glared at him, "Don't 'Ryou' me. Yugi told me what you guys did to him, and I've never been so mad before."

"Come on Ryou! I'll apologize!" Bakura smiled.

Yugi interrupted, "Ryou, go with them, don't worry, I'll be alright."

Ryou looked at Yugi. "No. I'm your friend now, I never want to talk to those zodiac animals ever again."

**-Yugi's house-**

Yugi had gone downstairs to get some hot cocoa and Ryou was absently walking around the room, and stopped when he saw a book under a pile of papers on Yugi's desk. The book was huge, and very thick. When Ryou opened it he gasped, the date was ten years ago. Instantly Ryou knew this was Yugi's diary. When Ryou flipped the page, his jaw hit the floor. Inside was the most beautiful drawing he had ever seen. It was a female cat, she was all yellow. On her back were weird black designs; the same for her tail, paws, and ears. On her left shoulder was a heart-like design. Half was white and the other half was black. The black part was cut off and there was a white dot, the same with the white side. There was a red dot in the middle. Her eyes were a shattering blue.

"If you leave your mouth open to long, you'll catch flies," Yugi commented.

Ryou jumped and dropped the book. A hiss alerted him that he hit something. Looking down, he noticed a tan cat glaring at him. The book was perfectly balanced on her back. The message in her eyes were clear.

'Hurt him in any way, and I will kill you. Damage this book and I will kill you. Have a nice day, and thank you very much.' And with that the cat stalked away, pausing to put the book on Yugi's bed.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have looked-" Ryou started.

"It's alright. That book is very important, and as you've probably guessed it's my diary. And that cat is Chrissie." Yugi murmured, "Anyway, thanks for coming over, I need the human company."

"So you really are the cat zodiac. Wow. I can't believe they haven't figured it out yet," Ryou giggled.

Yugi smiled. "They think I'm a zodiac, they just don't know which one. Why don't they think I'm the cat zodiac?"

"After you vanished the Emperor told us that in your grief of not having a year, you killed yourself." Ryou explained.

Yugi snorted, "No, I was gifted with intelligence, unlike them, the first human/zodiac animal was me."

"Wow, that's so cool! So I was wondering, what zodiac is Yami?" Ryou inquired.

Yugi looked up from fingering his book, a shocked look on his face. "Yami is a zodiac?" he asked.

"Yeah, I overheard them talking about that-super hearing is my power, after all. Speaking of which, what's your power?" Ryou asked.

"I-I don't have one…" Yugi lied. After a while, Ryou left and Yugi changed into his cat form. He looked at himself in the mirror. Yugi had a long scar across his chest and his arm had healed nicely, five times as fast as it should have. However Yugi had to wear his charm all the time now, the charm that sealed away his inner evil.

'Master? Are you okay?' Cotton asked.

Yugi turned and smiled at her, "I'm fine."

He jumped down and padded to his bed. He looked at the picture from ten years ago. Chrissie was smiling, and laughing chasing a golden butterfly. That was how he felt ten years ago. Yugi turned to one of the most recent-Chrissie was there, but she was sobbing and clutching her heart, which had blood pouring down it. The gold butterfly was turning black, and hiding in the shadows was an evil cat creeping up on Chrissie. Yugi changed into a human and grabbed a pencil. Carefully, he drew a new page and entered a new piece of writing.

_Dear Yugi,_

_Today I made a friend, but he won't last long. Once he truly sees me. I feel so much pain, I'm starting to think of giving in to the monster. If I do, will he protect my weak and shattered heart?_

_I mean, my parents abandoned me when I was young, telling me I was a freak. And I would never fit in. They were right, I'm hated. No one loves me, and Grandpa is dying, I can tell. Soon, I'll only have Cotton, and if she dies...I know I'll go insane. And I'll never suffer again._

_Love, Yugi_

Yugi started to draw. The butterfly was all black; dead. The evil shadow cat had his claws on Chrissie's throat, and her eyes were blank. The cat had scratched her throat-and if no one saved her, she would die. But Yugi knew the end of this horrible fairy tale-no one would save Chrissie. Which meant...no one would save him.


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey-o, and welcome to Lucky 13! So in this chapter Yugi will run into some of the past generation zodiacs (A.K.A. Fruits Basket characters), and will learn about how to love a rat. Hopefully. Now, I mustn't keep you any longer, enjoy! - Makoto U ´꓃ ` U**

* * *

_Chapter 4_

"Hey…"

Yugi heard someone's soft voice, "Who's there?"

A boy with orange hair and chocolate eyes appeared, literally, out of thin air. "Try the past zodiac generation. My name's Kyo."

Okay. Now Yugi was more confused than ever. "So, basically, you're from the zodiac...centuries ago?"

"Yeah, you could say that," the boy said, lifting up a shoulder, "How 'bout trying the cat of the zodiac."

Yugi's eyes widened into the size of dinner plates. "So...you're the cat?"

Kyo nodded, his smile sour. It seemed to fit perfectly on his boyish features. "Neglected, unlucky, exiled...am I...right?"

Yugi stayed silent and looked down. Kyo didn't need an answer; he already knew what it felt like.

"I was in your shoes once too, ya know…" At that statement, Yugi looked up at the orange-haired boy, who was now standing right in front of him. "Although, I think I know how to break that 'petty' curse of yours."

"How?" Yugi looked confused once again.

"I'll show you." Instantly after that, Yugi found himself in front of one of those old-fashioned Japanese houses. There was a circular window, but that's all, and if there was a door, Yugi didn't see it.

"This is how to break your curse." Yugi jumped at the soft voice of Kyo, "Just watch, then I'll explain."

A boy with silver hair, wearing a kimono with a blue hakama, walked up to the window.

To Yugi's surprise, Kyo is the one that popped out of the window. And (more to Yugi's surprise) he was smiling at the boy.

"Yuki! What are you doing here?" Kyo looked curiously at the boy. He turned his face slightly and Yugi caught a glimpse of violet eyes, much like his own.

"Curse...broken…" the boy, now named Yuki, panted. That's when Yugi realized that the boy must've been running.

"A-are you serious? Don't lie, Yuki." Kyo looked a little sad.

"I'm not...here-try take off that cursed bracelet of yours…" Yuki gently took one of the orangette's wrists, which dons a bracelet of black and white beads. He took off the bracelet and…nothing happened. Kyo opened his eyes, since they were shut tight.

"What-how-when?" Kyo looked happy, relieved and confused at the same time.

"It's because you accepted me, and I accepted you," Yuki said, grasping the hand he's holding onto tightly.

Yugi slowly turned to "Spirit" Kyo, "I have to...accept the rat?"

"Spirit" Kyo smiled a little, "Yeah...it seems hard at first, but it was all worth it. Yuki was a hard one to get to...but we managed."

Yugi was confused; once again, "Why isn't the curse gone?"

Kyo's expression darkened, "Take a look, Yugi."

The scene around them melted, and now, they are in a dark room. There was a guy, who looked exactly like Yuki-except for longer, darker hair and darker (both mentally and physically) eyes.

"This _person_ is our God." Kyo narrowed his eyes at the figure.

"I don't believe in the zodiac god...after what he did to us." Yugi scrunched up his nose in disgust.

Suddenly, Yuki and Kyo appear before this "God".

"I've heard you two are getting along quite well…" a cold, unforgiving voice came from this zodiac god.

"We want to get engaged." Yuki's tone was steely, and he wasn't about to back down from this excuse of a human being.

"But...I WON'T ALLOW THAT!" the dark-haired boy threw a vase at Yuki, who dodged. Luckily, Kyo wasn't sitting behind him-instead, the vase shattered on the ground.

"The curse is broken, you can't do anything about it." Yuki said that statement with so much confidence; you felt like you could believe him.

"Actually, I can, dear boy," the young god cackled.

"What-?!" The room is enveloped by a bright light, and when the light is gone...Yuki looked at Kyo with a sudden distaste.

"What is a filthy cat doing in the main house?" Yuki snarled. Kyo looked at Yuki sadly, and for some weird reason, started coughing a little. Like he just caught a cold.

"What are we _all_ doing here?"

Yugi ripped his eyes from the horrible, depressing scene, and looked at the orange-haired boy beside him. "Kyo…?"

The spirit smiled sadly, "Cats never get happy endings...do they…?"

"What? So I have to befriend Yami? That's impossible! All that guy thinks of is himself!" Yugi exclaimed, looking strained. Kyo chuckled, but it's an amused one, and for some reason, it makes Yugi feel better.

"Don't worry, Yugi, you're a kind boy. You'll get through to thick-headed Yami." Kyo smiled comfortingly at Yugi, and Yugi knows it's not pity, or sympathy. It's wishing for the best. "Yugi...don't give up, okay? I have a feeling you're the one. You're strong, determined, brave. Fight the darkness. Don't let those other zodiacs pick on you, or bring you down. And don't worry, I'll always be there. We're zodiac animals, so we can communicate with our past-selves."

"But...Kyo...what about you? Do you see Yuki? Does he hate you? Are you...still together?" Yugi wondered aloud. Kyo smiled, like remembering something good.

"You know...the spirit world is a peaceful one. Now, I mustn't waste anymore of your time. And, remember, I'm always here. Bye, for now."

Yugi woke up, tangled in his sheets, hanging off his bed.

"That's probably one of the best dreams I've had in while."


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

The next morning (after that super duper crazy dream) after Yugi had fed Cotton, he walked to his room and grabbed his diary.

_~Dear Yugi,_

_Last night, I had a (crazy) great dream of a past life/generation. I'm starting to fight the darkness that lurks in my heart, but I can tell I won't last. I just need to befriend Yami, the rat, in two days without anything bad happening._

_I fear if something does go wrong, my inner evil, will lock me up in the chains of my own mind. And I fear what he will do to others. In just two days, I will be friends with the rat. I hope._

_~Love, Yugi_

Yugi started to draw his next picture. Chrissie was fighting the evil cat (of darkness), who was laughing at her. The golden butterfly was starting to get some of its pretty gold hue back. The only problem-Chrissie was hurt, badly. The evil cat didn't have a single scratch on itself.

"Yugi! Go to school!" his Grandpa called.

"Okay, Grandpa!" Yugi responded. "Have a nice day, Cotton."

Said cat only purred. Yugi raced to school, and quickly found the other seven zodiac and Ryou.

Yugi watched as Ryou spoke to them, "He is the stupid cat, after all. I can't believe it."

Yugi felt tears prick his eyes as Yami smirked. "Good, I think he needs a welcome party."

The rest cheered. Yugi, having enough of this, walked over. "I'm sorry, did you say a party? I can't, because I don't think of it as a 'party', but thanks anyway."

Yugi walked away, feeling hurt. He felt the monster growl (inside of himself),_ 'Yugi…Yugi, let me kill them. Don't worry, it will hurt. I promise. You can let me out, Yugi, you know you love being free right?'_ it purred.

Yugi frowned, and growled, "No...no one deserves to be killed. Least of all...by you."

It chuckled,_ 'No one? What about your arm? The left one? I almost have total control of you, because of Seto, that silly, little dragon. And your chest? I love the scar, it looks good on you.'_

Yugi ignored it, until he heard something that chilled him to the bones.

_'Do you want to know how Kyo died? He was so sad of losing his love that he drowned himself. And Kyo's father? He felt his monster inside for the first time, and leapt off a building, care to watch?'_

Instantly, Yugi was on top of a tall building, and he watched as a young man with orange hair walked towards the edge.

"I won't let you hurt my family!" And with that, he jumped.

Yugi gasped. Suddenly, he was watching Kyo's death.

"I...love him...and he...forgot about me...maybe...death isn't so bad." He walked off a bridge, into the freezing water below.

Yugi started crying, "P-please, STOP!"

The monster laughed, _'But Yugi, you look so happy. How about I show you the rest?'_

Yugi shot up, gasping. He looked wildly around the room he was in, realizing that he was in the nurse's office. He looked into the worried faces of the other zodiac.

"Why am I here?" he asked Yami crossly.

Yami looked at him with worried eyes, "You collapsed and started screaming. We got worried and ran you to the nurse."

Yugi blinked, "T-thanks,"

'Well, this is the first time they're actually considerate,' Yugi thought.

"Oh, Yugi! What a pretty bracelet!" Anzu screeched, "Can I hold it?" She reached for it.

Yugi snarled, "Get away! Don't touch it!"

Anzu frowned and jumped up on the bed, "Okay, sorry." She went to hug him, but instead grabbed the bracelet and jumped back.

The rest were trying to look at it, get at it, or watch (Seto).

Yugi froze suddenly, _'Oh, Yugi~!'_

"Yes...?" Yugi asked.

_'You do know what happens now, right?'_ it sneered.

"No, you...you can't!"

_' Watch me.'_

Yugi felt a pain in his head, then all went black. Everyone froze, all the power went out. When the lights came back on, they gasped at what they saw. A monster. It was Yugi, but it wasn't. The thing had three scars down its right eye. Two huge wings came from its back and a tail with a blade for the tip, that snaked around his legs. His legs were bent in odd angles with gold bracelets. His hands were claws and there were chains around his wrists. On his chest was a weird cross, and at the top was a pendant with a red gem. Adorning his head was a crown-with a red eye in it. Also there were two horns poking out of his hair.

He sighed,_ 'I know I should grant you three wishes for letting me go…but I couldn't care less. So, I'll just thank you instead.' It smiled deviously, 'Seto, thank you for attacking Yugi in the park-you see, my power is mainly around the left arm, and when you smashed it up, well…and Anzu, thank you for letting me out. I was finally free when you took the charm off. As for the rest…well, you all shunned him. Here, let me show you.'_

Suddenly, an old, worn book appeared. _'Yugi is such a sweet boy-he always told me what was happening in his life. That is what this book is.'_

The date was eight years ago, shortly after Yugi had me Yami and the others.

_~Dear Yugi,_

_I don't think that the kids, from earlier, like me. They're always so nasty to me. I just want to fit in-would you tell them to leave me alone?_

_~Love, Yugi_

_'Oh, and look-a picture! Aww, look-Chrissie! But she doesn't look very happy.'_ he turned the book around and showed them the picture.

Chrissie was crying, looking at a white rose. The butterfly was starting to turn black.

_'Now, I think I need to talk to Yugi. You bunch have fun.'_ With that, the monster turned and slashed the air. A portal appeared, and the monster snapped open his wings and jumped through.

**-Time skip: to Hell-**

Yugi woke up and looked around, realizing he was in the one place, he had hoped to never go to again-Hell.

Yugi reached over his small bed and looked down, instantly realizing that he was in the home he had made years before. He knew why the demon had brought him here. Since the monster had always wanted to protect Yugi in its own way, he thought that bringing him here would help.

"Where are you?" he called, "Myself? Demon?"

_'I thought you didn't like me very much, Yugi. Yet here you are calling for me.'_ It noted.

Yugi snorted as he grabbed his book. Quickly, he stuffed it in his backpack and slung it over his back. After, he rolled up the blankets and tied them onto the back of the bag.

_'Where are you going?'_ He asked.

"Away," Yugi answered simply as his wings burst from his back.

_'Away? Why away? What are you running from?'_

"The guards of Hell. They will rip you to pieces or devour you. Then you will be reborn again here. The process is repeated until your soul is dust. I need to get out before my chains appear again." Yugi jumped off the cliff and beat his wings as he soared over the huge maze entrance of Hell.

_'The guards? Okay, they sound bad, but what do you mean by chains?'_ He asked as he followed Yugi.

"My chains are…well, my chains keep me in Hell. In my case, they would be over my wrists and neck, and I would get my mark back." Yugi's eyes narrowed as he looked at something in the distance.

_'Your mark? What's that?'_ He asked.

Yugi glared, "You live here, you should know. My mark is a symbol that shows my sin, what I did wrong in my life. After all, I was born in Hell."

He sneered, _'Oh yes Yugi, your sin-what was it again?'_

Yugi turned to yell at him what a flash of movement sent him crashing to the ground. He stood up to see a guard of Hell reaching for him. Quickly, he slashed out with a long knife that was hidden in his belt.

"Let's go, you stupid demon!" Yugi yelled to the creature above his head.

After running away for a few minutes, Yugi stopped at a dead end. He turned around and saw fifty or sixty guards chasing them.

"Jump!" Yugi yelled to the demon.

_'Are you crazy?! We won't survive the fall!'_

"Jump!" and Yugi lept off the edge.

WHAM!

_'We made it!'_

"Of course we did, what did you think?" And Yugi turned to get ready for bed.

_'We are on the skull of a dead guard and you want sleep?!'_

Yugi smacked him on the back of his head. "Yes, Demon. I want sleep."


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey, guys, sorry that we haven't updated this story as of late. Ha, I was editing this chapter and couldn't help but laugh at some parts（ ´∀｀）. - Makoto U ´꓃ ` U**

* * *

_Chapter 6_

Yami watched in shock as the monster walked through a portal. Seto was the first to break the silence.

"What in the world just happened?" Yami was upset.

"He disappeared into a portal leading to god-knows-where; that's what happened."

"I...I've seen that portal before…" Everyone looks at Joey. "That...that's the portal to Hell. I know that portal, I've seen it before."

"What do you mean that you've seen that before?" Yami asked.

"Well...I...I'm the one who banished Yugi the first time," Joey admitted.

"Say what?!" Yami said, looking at the zodiac dog like he had just admitted that he was the one who banished Yugi. "What do you mean by _'banished'_, Joey?"

"Yugi went a little crazy, couple years ago. Destroyed two cities, left nothing behind but rubble," Joey explained.

Everyone looked like they've seen a demon hop into a portal to Hell.

"Okay, now I think we should be scared of Yugi," Marik says.

"No, we shouldn't be _scared_; we should be _celebrating_ about the appearance of this _demonic creature_," Bakura snarked. Yami has a teeny-tiny scream feast—just a small one.

"WHAT THE—WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?! WE SAW YUGI GET TRANSFORMED INTO A...A MONSTER, FOR RA'S SAKE! AND HE JUMPED INTO A FREAKING PORTAL TO HELL! AND THAT'S ALL YOU GUYS CAN SAY?!" Yami breathed heavily after his outburst. Who could blame the guy? That sight will probably scar you for a lifetime. Nothing was said.

"Okay, meet outside my house. Pack light blankets, provisions, and weapons. Don't bring anything unnecessary. Guns won't work in Hell, so don't bring those." Joey declared. No one questioned, besides there was nothing logical about this.

_—Few hours later—_

Everyone showed up on time.

"Okay, now that everybody is here, I can re-open the portal," Joey says.

"Joey, why didn't you tell us you could summon portals?" Seto asked.

"Well, it's not exactly my best talent. Besides, nothing is logical in that place, ya should've expected it." Joey shrugs, "Anyways, to Hell and away!" A portal randomly appears, and they hop through it.

"We're here. Now please cautiously look around at your surroundings and where you are stepping. You don't want to run into Hell guards, they are _ginormous_ and eat you whole, or perhaps you'd step into a hole that's deeper than Death Valley," Joey reassured.

"Gee, thanks for your last minute warning, Joey." Yami rolled his eyes, "Oh, and lookie here—I see a hole right there."

"Yami, stop joking around this isn't funny!" Anzu whined.

"What? You thought I was joking? No, I was being serious." Yami pointed to a hole that's, like, about a foot away from Seto, "See? So, Seto, how 'bout you tell us how deep it is?"

"Yeah, I would love to, but no thanks," Seto snarked back at the shorter boy.

"Okay, guys. Let's find Yugi—or whatever the heck he is—and get out of here," Marik suggested.

_—Back to Yugi—_

Yugi shot up from where he was lying.

'What is it, Yugi?'

"Someone's coming...I can sense it."

_—Back to Yami and the others—_

"What did I tell you guys about Hell guards?!" Joey yelled as they run away from two.

"Well, you didn't tell us they could eat us whole!" Yami shot back.

"_I did!_ I said they are ginormous _and_ eat you whole!"

"I'm sorry, but I was worrying about falling into a hole that could send me to the center of the Earth!"

"Guys, stop it! Jump off this cliff!" Malik shouted.

"Okay—WAIT, WHAT?!" Everyone screamed.

"Just do it! It's probably our only chance to survival!" Malik yelled back.

"Well, we're already running towards it, so just..._JUMP_!" Bakura shouted. Reasoning: YOLO.

_—Now, back to Yugi—_

"Holy—Demon! They're sprinting towards us!"

'Yugi, don't kid around with me.'

"No! I'm serious—!" Too late.

"OW! WHAT THE HECK?!" Yugi felt like a tons and tons of bricks were piled on top of him.

'Well, this is just fabulous.'

—Now, back to Yami—

'Wow, I did not expect jumping off a cliff in Hell could be so soft...'

Yami thought too soon. Two identical twins were glaring at the people on top of them.

"Excuse me, but there are no pillows in Hell, _SO GET OFF_!" Everyone scrambled off the small boy and his demon-self.

"YUGI!" Everyone screamed (again).

"Shush! For God's sake, we're in Hell!" Yugi sighed, "Besides, what are you guys doing down here?"


	8. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7_

Yugi scowled at the ragged group in front of him. "What are you doing here? If they find you, they'll kill you! Also—do you really want to get trapped here _forever_?!"

Joey scowled. "First, you answer my questions, like how did you get out of Hell in the first place, and where you're going! If I recall—this is the first level of Hell; Guards' graveyard!"

Yugi rolled his eyes. "I'm leaving this place, and I'm not telling you how I left, you'll find out soon enough if you want to leave. And yes, this is the first level of Hell."

Seto snorted. "Great."

Yugi sighed. 'Joy, sheer joy. I'm stuck with this group of dummies.'

"Yugi?" Yami asked.

"Hmm?"

"Why are you here?"

Yugi looked at them for a second, then a flash of movement caught his eye. "Watch out!"

The small boy knocked the group over onto the ground and spread his wings to protect them when a Hell guard's blade swiped over his head. Yugi sprang up, then ran up the beast's arm and slashed it off with his long dagger.

When the thing was distracted, he shouted, "If you want to live you'd better follow me!"

The bunch followed Yugi until they reached the edge of the skull they were on. Water was hundreds of feet below, and it looked too innocent to just be water.

"Yugi, we're gonna get caught!" Anzu shouted from the back, a very ticked off guard following closely behind.

"Jump!" Yugi shouted.

"Are you crazy?!" Yami shouted.

"Trust me!"

Yami blinked. Yugi had always trusted him, and he was given thirteen. "Okay." And he jumped.

While everyone was watching Yami fall, Yugi's tail came from his back and he knocked their feet out from under them. Before he jumped, he called behind him.

"Demon, if you're coming you'd better hurry!"

'Yes, Mother,' Demon teased.

_—Time skip—_

Yami groaned and stood up, holding his head. He looked around the place he had landed and blinked. There were jagged black rocks all over. There is bubbling, yellowish liquid that looked like acid, but Yami didn't want to test that out.

"Yami? Is that you?!" Bakura called.

Yami turned to see Bakura leading Seto, Malik, Marik, and Joey. "Yeah, it's me!"

"Good, have you seen Yugi, Ryou, or Anzu?" Bakura asked, a worried look on his face.

"No, I—" Yami started.

"Yami!" a screechy voice screeched.

Yami winced, turned around and saw Anzu and Ryou walking towards them, supporting a figure between them. Yami's heart almost stopped when he recognized the familiar tri-colored hair.

"Yugi…" he whispered.

Yami raced over to the three with the others following close behind. Anzu was crying, and Ryou didn't look much better. Bakura ran past Yami and grabbed Ryou, holding him and whispering kind things to him.

Yami took Yugi from Anzu and held him gently. "Yugi? Come on, wake up!"

Ryou looked at Yami and spoke. "When I was falling, I was h-heading straight f-for one of t-those pools. I s-saw a lizard fall i-into in, and it n-never came up. I thought I was dead. A-and Yugi came from n-nowhere and caught me...but h-his leg…"

Yami looked at Yugi's leg and gasped. The skin was red and charred, blood was coming out and it looked pretty bad—scratch that, painfully sore. Yugi opened his eyes and winced slightly. Yami then noticed the cut on Yugi's back.

"Yugi?" Yami asked.

"Hmm?"

"Y-your back it's very injured, we need—"

"Yami, calm down. I know what to do, seeing that I've lived half my life here," Yugi said soothingly.

Yami took a deep breath, "But your leg—"

"Yami," Yugi said warningly.

Yugi then took off his shirt and Yami was surprised at how pale (he's been living in Hell for half his life, what did you expect) he was. Yugi then ripped the shirt up and tightly bandaged his back. Yugi looked at his leg and everyone watched as it slowly healed.

"Let's go," Yugi said cheerfully.

After twenty minutes of walking, Anzu started whining which resulted in Bakura yelling at her, and Ryou calming him down. Then Marik said something rude and Malik laughed which caused Yami to yell. Pretty soon they were all yelling at each other.

'Yugi?'

'What?' Yugi thought.

'Why are we helping them get out as well? Why not just leave them?' Demon asked, referring to the other zodiac.

'Because I'm not. Anyways, where are you? Hiding in me again, I take it.' Yugi retorted.

'Yes...but you're getting close to the third floor of Hell. Get ready.'

Yugi sighed, tired of the constant bickering behind him. "Okay! Chill out! We all are tired, we need a break. Let's calm down, eat, and get some sleep."

Everyone dropped to the ground and started eating the food that was stored in their bags. Yugi watched with mild amusement and opened his own bag, ate and got ready for bed.


	9. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8_

Third level of Hell. Grey sand. Not bad. You would've expected something much worse, like maybe a whole giant army of Hell guards chasing after you. No. Just sand. Well, actually, sand was everywhere. You could probably stand on Mount Everest and still see sand.

Anzu sighed, "I'm tired," and she lies down on the sand.

"Yeah, I wouldn't sleep on that if I were you," Yugi looked to the side a little, like he was preparing for something to jump out at him. "That's not sand. What you're lying on is probably trillions and trillions of crushed human bones."

She shot right back up on her feet. "Okay, maybe I'm not tired."

Yugi was still tensed up. "This is a graveyard for evil souls, who have died."

"What now? Are they gonna—" That sentence was cut off by a loud screech, an inhuman screech.

"WHAT THE—"

"Run! Hurry!" Yugi yelled, shoving everyone forward.

"Wonderful! Once again, being chased by something that could devour me in five seconds!" someone yelled. Yugi honestly didn't care who yelled; he needed to get them out of here!

'Oh, sorry. Too late,' Demon said.

There were at least thousands, or hundred thousands, of evil spirits coming their way. A fatal purple aura surrounded them, suggesting that they were not the ideal person (or spirit) to sit down and have a cup of tea with. And they were fast too! As the group of zodiacs were running away from the skeletons, ghosts, deformed creatures, etc., their heels were getting nipped at.

Yami had tripped over something that was sticking out of the sand, and Yugi grabbed his arm, but an evil spirit lashed out at his side, cutting it. It was painful to run, but they needed to get to a safe place before Yugi or anyone else started fretting over Yami's cut, which was currently oozing out (a lot) blood.

'Just wonderful,' Yami was wincing the whole time they were running, but the group found a cave. One made out of stone.

Yugi knew one thing about evil spirits. Their eyesight is terrible. Even a bat (without echolocation) could see better than they can. The spirits were just following the sound of the zodiac group's heavy panting.

"Cave...go...now!" Yugi managed to pant out. Everyone seemed to understand, and they made a sprint for the cave.

There, they collapsed.

"Hold on—suck in your breath. Wait 'til they go away." Yugi whispered. Once again, everyone followed his instructions and the evil spirits stopped in front of the cave. They looked at one another, shrugging, then ran further into the desert of crushed bones. The group of zodiac animals let out their breaths, harsh panting following.

Not surprisingly, everyone lay down (just to rest for a bit) and got knocked out by their tiredness. Yugi honestly couldn't blame them. This is their first time in Hell. He's been here for half a lifetime so...let's just say he's accustomed to _everything_.

Yugi was surprised to see that Yami was still awake, though. Oh. Right. Yugi had completely forgotten about that huge gash on his side. Whoops.

Yami was sitting, his back against the cave wall, wincing with one arm wrapped around his torso.

"Here—let me see how bad it is." Yugi gently took Yami's arm off the injury.

"Wow, that made me feel a whole lot better." Yami rolled his eyes, but was smiling weakly.

"Why did you trip? Was there something in the sand?" the zodiac cat questioned, lifting up Yami's shirt high enough to see the gash.

"Um," Yami hesitated, "didn't you see that bottle in the ground?"

Yugi, who was gingerly touching the cut, stopped. "Uh...no?"

Yami knitted his eyebrows together. "I swear...that bottle was in plain sight…"

All of a sudden, the sound of snapping fingers filled the cave. "I completely forgot! Evil spirits can create mirages. They do that so they can kill people and add them to their 'crushed bone' collection." Yugi said all of this while patching up Yami's side.

"That sounds like a nice collection. I would've been honored to be a part of it." Yami said "enthusiastically", looking outside the cave at the never-ending (sandy) landscape.

Yugi snorted, but he was amused. "I'm surprised you can still be snarky as ever."

"It's my specialty." Yami shrugged, now looking at Yugi. Yugi sighed a little.

"Honestly...I'm glad you guys can still keep your sense of humor. It lightens the mood up a lot more."

Yami winced. "Ow...too much pressure, Yugi…"

Yugi's eyes widened. "Sorry…"

'Shoot...his cut is really deep...' Yugi thought.

"Um...Yami?"

"Y...yeah?" Yami smiled weakly.

"I...I like you, okay? Honestly, I was starting to warm up to you back then...but now...I feel like it's the right time to tell you," Yugi admitted, looking down at his hands.

Yami's eyes sparkled. "Yes, the perfect time—in Hell. I like you too. A lot, I have to admit. I've warmed up to you too, in the past month." Suddenly, the searing pain in his side cleared up. "Gone...the pain's gone…"

Yugi smiles a little. Probably the first genuine smile Yami has seen in a while.

"When the cat accepts the rat...and the rat accepts the cat...good things will come, I suppose." Yami smiles back.

"Maybe there is some happiness in a cat's life, hmm?"


End file.
